U.S. cuts April visas for Iranian nationals by half yr/yr

TEHRAN – The number of U.S. non-immigrant visas issued to Iranian nationals has dropped by 52 percent in April compared to the same month last year, Newsweek reported on Friday.

The decrease comes after President Donald Trump introduced temporary travel bans in January in order to restrict people from seven Muslim-majority countries including Iran from entering the U.S.

A review of the new data by Politico shows that in April 2017 there was a nearly 20 percent decline in the number of non-immigrant visas issued to people from 50 Muslim-majority countries, when compared with the monthly average in 2016.

“There were 85,790 visas issued per month to people from those countries last year, but that number was only around 69,000 in April.”

Following many ups and downs, lastly a U.S. appeals court refused to reinstate the travel ban on Thursday, calling it discriminatory and setting the stage for a showdown in the Supreme Court.

Experts say the economic cost of the travel ban could reach several billion dollars, asserting the ban could cost as much as $18 billion in tourism revenue to the U.S. The figures includes some $10.8 billion that would have been spent in the U.S. by tourists.

PHOTO: People protest against President Donald Trump’s travel ban in New York City, U.S., February 1, 2017. (Reuters/Brendan McDermid)